The Trouble with Harry
by Domitan
Summary: HarryHermione. post hbp. read and find out more. you might just like it hehe. Hermione is pregnant...and that's all I'm saying...
1. Prologue

Hermione sighed. It had been, 11 hours, no, 11 hours and 27 minutes since Harry had kissed her goodbye. School had just let out for the summer, and Hermione was eager to relax. However, she could not get her mind off of Harry for one moment. That's why she was awake at 2:57 in the morning. Harry and she had been friends since first year, but not until the end of their sixth year, six years later, had he shown anything like this. (Note: Hermione and Ron did not go out in the sixth book…for my purposes.) Hermione had never even felt very attracted to Harry. She had not been jealous when he had gone with Cho in fifth year, nor had she ever minded how much Ginny talked about him. Ginny would be devastated, Hermione realized. But how could she let Harry go after needing to know what would happen next?

**A/N: HOW DID YOU LIKE IT? If you didn't, it gets better, in my opinion. Please please please pretty please with sugar on top review, or I might take a looooooooooooong time to post the next chapter...muahahahahahaha**


	2. Chapter One: Banished

**A/N: Looky here! It's the next chapter! Congratultions for choosing this story. Don't forget to review when you're done! I'll thank you in advance!**

Hermione had been reminiscing her first memory of loving Harry. That had been last year. Their relationship had budded over the budded during the summer, and had exploded into bloom during the school year. Unfortunately, so had Hermione's belly. She had become pregnant over the course of the year, and her parents were refusing to let her out of the house. "Mom! Dad!" Hermione yelled through the locked door. "Let me in! I'm sorry, but please let me in! We can talk about it."

"We're sorry, Hermione," came her mother's voice through the door. "You've brought this upon yourself. If you're old enough to get yourself pregnant, you're old enough to live on your own. You're on your own. You're done school. Get a job and find a flat somewhere. Maybe that boy will marry you, but I doubt it. Take some money to live out the rest of the summer, and then you're on your own. Forever." Mrs. Granger slid a thick envelope through the mail slot and bid her only child farewell.

Later, Hermione broke into her own house. She had to; all her personal belongings were in there. She left her parents a note saying not to call the police because it was only her, and then she left. When she reached the ground (her room was on the second story), she realized how hopeless her situation was. She broke down crying. When she had calmed herself down and took inventory of her situation. She had $1623.42 including the money from her room. She had enough clothes to last for a while. She had school books that she could pawn off eventually. She had a trunk with which to carry all her stuff. She had her brain. She had an unborn child. She had no clue what to do. Hermione fell asleep leaning against the shed in her backyard. She awoke with the sun, and left her childhood home behind.

"Is Harry Potter there?" Hermione was phoning the Dursley's house from a pay phone in the mall.

"Who's this?" came the voice on the other end. "Are you his girlfriend or something?" it was Dudley. Hermione sighed.

"No, but I need to talk to him." Hermione didn't like lying, but she didn't want Dudley spilling her secret all over the world. Harry didn't even know yet. She had found out a month before school ended, but Harry had been so busy destroying horcruxes (lame lame lame…don't hurt me…) that she hadn't been able to tell him. He hadn't been on the train; she hadn't even seen him since she found out. Hermione didn't even know where Harry was, or if he was still alive.

"Ummm...yeah. He got here last night, bloody late. I dunno if he'll like being woken up, but I don't mind. Hold on a sec." Hermione thanked her lucky stars that Dudley was getting Harry. It turns out that Dudley had been (somewhat) nicer to Harry since the evening of the dementors, but he wouldn't let anyone tell him that.

"'Lo?" a hoarse voice came through the receiver.

"Harry! It's me."

""Mione? Is that you?" Harry yawned into the phone. Hermione started to cry. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh Harry, I'm just glad you're alive. I'm… I'm…pregnant." Hermione whispered the last word. Dead silence on both sides of the phone, except for Hermione's sniffles.

"Oh." was all Harry managed to say. "Hold on a minute. Can you apparate here…no never mind, where are you?"

"I'm in the middle of a Muggle shopping store. Don't apparate here."

"Well, listen to me and do exactly what I tell you. Stick your wand arm out when you're standing on the sidewalk. The Knight Bus will come, and then you tell them to take you straight to number 4 Privet Drive, OK? Got it?"

"I…I think so." Hermione was so relieved.

"Ok, I'll see you soon. Bye."

"I love you Harry." whispered Hermione.

"I love you too Hermione. I still do."

Hermione walked outside, relieved that Harry still loved her. Somehow, that made everything better. Life was looking up. Secretly in her mind, Hermione hope that Harry would want to marry her and then they could find a house together and spend the rest of their lives together. She stuck out her wand arm, just like Harry had told her to, and a massive bright purple double-decker bus pulled up. She was surprised; it was slightly frightening the first time you saw it. The Knight Bus had its name printed on the side in luminous gold letters, and although Hermione was quite experienced with the concealment of the wizard world from the Muggles', she couldn't believe that she was the only one on the street who could see this. The doors opened in front of her, and a voice came from inside, "Where to, miss?"

"I need to get to number 4 Privet Drive, in…"

"Aye, I know where that is. That's Harry Potter's house, that is. What purpose are you heading there for?" The driver looked at her curiously.

"Well, he's my friend and I'm paying him a visit."

"I see. You're sure he's there? I've heard rumour that he's up and left for his aunt and uncle are cruel to him." The driver seemed proud that he knew so much about the private life of Harry Potter. "We had him here on the Knight Bus before, din't we, Stan. He said his name was Neville Longbottom, he did. Queer fellow he was. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on! It's a long way, and we got drop off loads of people first. Today's a busy day." Hermione climbed cautiously aboard. Stan offered Hermione his hand, and she grabbed it. He pulled her none too gently up the stairs. When he realized that Hermione was pregnant, he mumbled his apologies, and found her a very comfortable seat, complete with multiple pillows. When she was settled in, he walked quickly to the back of the bus and stayed there for the rest of the journey. Hermione dozed in her chair.

"Miss! Miss! We're here. That will be seven sickles please." Stan was shaking Hermione, gently this time, to wake her. Hermione drowsed back into the waking world and suddenly realized that she had no money at all. Her parents had always paid for all her wizarding world purchases. "Umm, I've just realized that I don't have anything but Muggle money on me." Hermione said rather sheepishly. Stan walked to the front of the bus and held a quiet conversation with Ernie the bus driver.

"Ern says to ask you for 7 pounds in Muggle money." Hermione handed over the notes and followed Stan to the front.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Good luck! Say hi to Neville for us!" Hermione stepped off the bus and into the waiting arms of Harry.


	3. Chapter Two: Tell All

Harry ushered Hermione up to his room, quickly and quietly as to not disturb any of his relatives. "How are you, Harry? I haven't seen you since you left to destroy the last horcruxes." Hermione began the conversation, not wanting to dwell on herself.

"Hermione, Voldemort's dead. I killed him. I only got home last night. I was leaving today, until you called."

"You did it! It's amazing that the Daily Prophet hasn't found out yet." Hermione was utterly relieved. Their world was no longer in peril.

"Yeah, you'd think they would have. Let me tell you the whole story. It started out that I destroyed the last horcruxes. The first one to bloody impossible to find, but the other ones were easy enough. The first one led me to them all. After I'd gotten rid of them all, Voldemort was really really weak, which made him easy to find too. But when he figured out that I had destroyed seven parts of his soul, he went after the Weasleys. He killed Ginny, Hermione. He killed her. The fact that he killed her only made me angrier, so I pursued him harder than ever. I followed him to a remote island in Siberia, where he had no help at all. I duelled with him for hours and hours, maybe even days, but we were equally matched. Finally, just when I had given up hope, he faltered, and I killed him. He's gone, but so are the people he killed."

"What did you do with his body?" Hermione asked. It was kind of a lame question to ask at that moment, but she wanted to know.

"I cremated him, and brought his ashes home. They turned green, just like the colour of the Dark Mark. I figured first of all that it's proof that he's dead, but it's also the closest thing I have to my parents' bodies."

"Have you talked to Ron or the Weasleys yet? They must be devastated." Harry ran a weary hand through his hair.

"Not yet," he admitted. I haven't been home for a long time."

"Right. Well, what are we going to do?" Hermione asked. Suddenly, Harry burst into tears.

"I don't know. All my life, I've been so protected, but now that no one's here to take care of me, I've got no idea what to do!" Hermione was shocked, but began stroking Harry's hair to comfort him.

"No one's taking care of me any more either Harry. We're both on our own." Harry just began sobbing harder. Soon, Hermione felt tears washing down her face as well.

They awoke in the late afternoon with crusted tears all over their faces. Harry hugged Hermione, and they both felt a little better. "So," began Harry timidly. "I do believe we've talked enough about me. When did you find out?"

"Almost the day after you left. Ginny…Ginny was there." Hermione choked on Ginny's name because Ginny was gone now. "I wanted so much for you to just be there so I could tell you. I was so scared in case you would die without even knowing anything. In any case, I owled my parents just before summer break started, and they practically disowned me." Harry moaned and covered his face in his hands. "Last night, I went home to try and convince them to take me back, but all they did was hand me a wad of cash and told me to sod off." Hermione was rather bitter when she said this. "I can't believe it. My own parents…I broke into my former room and stole, well took all _my_ stuff and slept up against the garden shed. This morning I called you, and Dudley answered. I thought he would just laugh and slam the phone down, but he willingly agreed to fetch you for me. You cannot imagine how relieved I felt. Then, you know the rest."

"I can't believe your parents chucked you out on the doorstep. It's entirely my fault Hermione; I should have been there with you. We could have talked to them together. I'm so sorry."

"Harry! It's not your fault. You just about saved the entire world while I was at school trying to cope with myself and my parents. You should be proud. I know your parents would be." Harry leaned over and gave Hermione a hug. Hermione was just glad that Harry still loved her.

"Thanks Hermione. I don't know what I would do without you." Harry whispered in her ear. Straightening up, he said, "Today, we go to the Weasley's. Of everyone, they deserve to know what happened first. Can you still Apparate?" Hermione nodded. "Okay. Wait. I never want to come back here again, so I'm going to pack all my things." Hermione let out a small giggle. "What's so funny?"

"Well, I was just thinking that, you haven't seen the Weasley's in a coon's age, and now you're bringing everything you own, so they'll probably think you're moving in or something." Harry grinned.

"Oh well, can't be helped. I do need somewhere to live now…" Hermione glanced over, and saw that he was joking. She punched him lightly in the arm. "What?" Harry sounded very innocent. He flicked his wand at all of his stuff that was scattered around the room. It zoomed pell-mell into his school trunk in, which was lying open in the floor. Hermione sighed.

"Let me do it. It will fold itself if I do it." Hermione smirked. Harry grimaced. Hermione did a complicated little twitchy movement with her wand and everything folded itself and neatly packed itself in. Hermione noticed that Harry had accumulated several packages of U-No-Poo. "What're these for?"

"Erm…Fred and George enjoy sending them to me…" Harry looked at the ceiling.

"Sure they do." Hermione groaned. "I've just realized, we'll be arriving at the Weasley's with two full Hogwarts trunks, and an unborn child in tow. What will we do? Should we tell them?" Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, then declared,

"Yes. They deserve to know, after all they've done for us. If they shut the door in our faces, well, at least they know. Better than keeping them in the dark 'til it's obvious." Hermione sighed and nodded. "Are you ready, Hermione?" She nodded, and they apparated to the front door of the Burrow.


	4. Chapter Three: The Burrow

"HARRY! Ron, quick! Harry's here! How are you? We were all so worried about you! Last we heard was Ron saying you went out to fight You-Know-Who! We thought you'd have been dead by now, but here you are on our front doorstep! And Hermione too! How have you _been_? It's been so long!" As you can tell, Mrs. Weasley was _very_ happy to meet two uninvited guests on her front porch. By this time, Ron had made it to the door, however breathless. In a very un-Ron-like moment, he engulfed Harry and Hermione in a hug.

"Honestly, I thought you were dead, Harry! I'm so relieved." Ron was, if this is even possible, even happier than Mrs. Weasley to see Harry and Hermione. "Why didn't you send any owls, Hermione? And where have you been Harry? Is You-Know-Who, you know, gone? Did you beat him?" Mrs. Weasley ushered Harry and Hermione into her kitchen and scolded Ron for asking so many questions.

"Would you tow like anything to eat?" Suddenly, Hermione felt ravenously hungry. She had not eaten since yesterday morning.

"Yes please, Mrs. Weasley! I'm starving!" Mrs. Weasley busied herself in the kitchen preparing a meal for the two. She returned less than five minutes later with two steaming plates of potatoes, meat, and beans. Harry and Hermione thanked her and commenced eating. "I haven't eaten since yesterday morning!" Hermione remarked without thinking. Harry nearly choked on his food. He hadn't wanted to tell the Weasleys yet.

"Why's that, Hermione dear?"

"Umm, well, you see, my parents chucked me out of the house."

"Why ever did they do that? I would never even think about doing such a thing to any of my kids. Percy threw himself out before I would have. You poor dear. I suppose you were thrown out too, then Harry?"

"Not really, Mrs. Weasley. I just never want to see the Dursleys again." Harry remarked. He was glad that Mrs. Weasley had not asked why Hermione was thrown out.

"So why did your parents throw you out, Hermione?" Harry winced and glanced at Hermione. She was looking at him, and he gave her a tiny smile. She was pale.

"Well, I don't know how to put this, umm…You see, I'm…I'm…I'm pregnant." Hermione buried her face in her hands and began to cry. Ron nearly fell off his chair, then looked at Harry with a look that said 'I never knew you guys were that serious'. Mrs. Weasley was at a loss for words.

"Oh." was all she could manage. "Oh, really?" Hermione didn't indicate anything, so Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry. He nodded, shamefully. "Well, what are you planning to do, Harry?"

"Honestly, I don't have a clue."


	5. Chapter Four: Rufus Scrimgeour and MORE!

**A/N: this is the next chapter (well...duh...) Please please please review...I NEED REVIEWS! Trust me, I have amazing ideas for this brainchild, and I hope you are there to witness it! **

That night, Mrs. Weasley expressed her frustration to her husband. "Damn that Harry James Potter! I thought we had taught him the best we could, him without parents and all, but now look what's happened. And our Hermione, who would have thought? Ooh, it just makes me so ANGRY!" Mr. Weasley just mumbled an "it'll be alright dear" to her and proceeded to let her pummel a pillow with frightening ferocity. He wasn't entirely sure what happened, but somehow, his wife ended up sobbing on the edge of the bed. "We've already lost Ginny, now we have to cope with this? And what's going to happen when the baby is born? Is Harry planning to take care of them? Will he be able to get a job? What about Hermione? How is she going to start a career with a baby in tow? It's just not fair!" Mr. Weasley scooted over and comforted his wife, but she pushed him away.

The next morning, Hermione woke up and felt very ill. She rushed to the washroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. Mrs. Weasley came up behind her and gently said, "You'll get used to it. It will go away after a few months." Hermione only nodded and bent over the loo again. Mrs. Weasley wandered into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. The post owl nearly missed her head as it zoomed in through and open window. Mrs. Weasley absently paid it, and shrieked when she saw the cover. There, smiling and waving, was a massive photo of Harry on the front page, under the headline, "The Chosen One?" Everyone came running into the kitchen to see what was amiss. Mrs. Weasley speechlessly showed the gathered family the Daily Prophet. "That's…me!" Harry said. "What am I doing on the front of the Daily Prophet?" Mrs. Weasley read the article out loud.

"Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, whatever you know him as, has disappeared. Last May, he dropped out of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry for so-called 'personal reasons' and has not been seen or heard from since. It is believed that he went after You-Know-Who, acting on the late Albus Dumbledore's instructions. However, we have not been able to confirm this, so it seems that Harry Potter has run away. We caught hold of Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress at Hogwarts, but she refused to divulge any information. A young man by the name of Cormac McLaggen told us that Potter had been having issues with Lucius Malfoy's son Draco, who also has not been seen for many months. If you have any information concerning Harry Potter, please contact the Ministry for Magic. Any information leading to the discovery of Potter's whereabouts will result in a reward of one hundred galleons." Mrs. Weasley finished the last sentence with a quivering voice. Everyone in the kitchen was silent. "What exactly, well, what exactly happened between you and You-Know-Who?"

"He's dead." Mr. Weasley inhaled sharply and Ms. Weasley and Ron quivered with fear. "I found the rest of the Horcruxes, and then I tracked him down. By the time he realized what was happening, I was nearly caught up with him. Then he came back here and murdered Ginny, I think to throw me off balance. It didn't really work; it only mad me angrier. I followed him to Siberia and duelled him. He tried to kill me obviously, but I beat him to it. I took his ashes, just to prove that he's really dead, and because it will remind of all the people who killed. I don't want them to be forgotten. He's dead, for real this time." Harry finished. Mr. Weasley cleared his throat.

"I think it's time we went to the Ministry for Magic. How long have been back for?"

"I got back two days ago, then Hermione arrived and we came here. I am exhausted. Killing Voldemort is no easy task." He said grimly. Mr. Weasley nodded. "All the same," he said. "It's time they know the truth. There's an entire world out there paralyzed with fear, Harry, waiting for you. They knew you could do it, and you have. You owe them the truth." Harry nodded respectfully and followed Mr. Weasley to the fireplace. "Now, take some Floo powder and follow me." Mr. Weasley turned to the fireplace, tossed in a pinch of Floo powder and said loudly and clearly, "Ministry for Magic". He stepped into the now green flames and disappeared. Harry followed him, and bade the rest of the people gathered in the kitchen farewell.

"Follow me closely, Harry. And keep your head down until we get to the Minister's office. Too bad you didn't grab your invisibility cloak, Harry. It would have been useful."

"But I did, Mr. Weasley. I've kept it in my pocket since Dumbledore died. It's proved dead useful there. Shall I put it on?" Harry looked towards Mr. Weasley. He nodded.

"Now, be quick and quiet." Mr. Weasley stepped out into the bustling hallway, full of wizards and witches making their way to work. It was rush hour in the fireplaces, and Mr. Weasley was glad that they had been able to come through so easily. He hated being made to wait in the fireplace, spinning around until there was one open. Thankfully, today was not on of those days. Good thing too, he had important business. He guided Harry along until they got to a desk with a young witch sitting behind it. "Good morning, Miss Clearwater. I'd like an appointment with the Minister, as quickly as possible if you don't mind." Harry suppressed a laugh. The secretary was Percy's old girlfriend.

"Mr. Scrimgeour is very busy right now. If you'll just sit down and wait…"

"It's got to do with Harry Potter."

"I see. Go right in." Mr. Weasley walked to a door nearby that had the name 'Rufus Scrimgeour' on it. Harry had never liked Scrimgeour, even less than he had liked Fudge, but there was no helping that now. Mr. Weasley waited and paused at the door. Harry took this as his cue to slip through. Mr. Weasley walked in after him.

"Good morning, Rufus."

"Good morning, Arthur. Penelope said you had some information about Harry Potter for me."

"Better than just information. Take your cloak off, Harry." Harry followed Mr. Weasley's instructions and took off his cloak.

"My lord! It's Harry Potter in the flesh! Where have you been Harry?" Rufus Scrimgeour said the last sentence in a rather stern voice that did not make Harry feel like talking to him. Still, he had to. As Mr. Weasley had said, it was his duty.

"Getting rid of Voldemort." As with most people who heard the name 'Voldemort' spoken out loud, Scrimgeour flinched.

"How did you manage to do that? You're absolutely sure he's gone? Positively? Amazing!" Scrimgeour called for a reporter. Harry had expected this, although he wasn't pleased. He told Scrimgeour the entire story, from start to finish, but not going into great detail about the Horcruxes. Still, when he mentioned them, Scrimgeour looked surprised. "Really? And he made seven of them?" He shuddered and asked Harry to continue. When the Minister finally said it was time to wrap it up, there were nine more wizards in Scrimgeour's office and it was nearly six in the evening. Harry was swaying on his feet, and he was ready to go home. "Thank you for coming Harry. We thought you had disappeared." Scrimgeour shook Harry's hand, and passed a bag over to Mr. Weasley. "Here's your reward. I daresay it's more than your day's wage, so don't worry about missing work today. You did the right thing Arthur." He shook Mr. Weasley's hand too, then sent them out. Mr. Weasley turned to Harry and asked, "Would you rather Apparate home, Harry? It would be faster." Harry nodded, then focussed his mind on the Burrow. He closed his eyes and stepped into that funny realm between here and there.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the kitchen in the Burrow. He loved this place; it has always felt like really having a family. "Harry! How did it go?" Hermione had been waiting anxiously for Harry since the moment he left that morning. Mrs. Weasley was pleased that Hermione liked Harry so much. It might work out, she thought to herself. Hermione got off her chair and walked over to Harry. Harry enveloped her in a hug and whispered to her.

"It was fine. I'm just tired now. My guess is that tomorrow's Daily Prophet will feature the Boy Who Lived and Who Has Now Killed You-Know-Who." He sighed and Hermione tried to comfort him. He stroked her hair to comfort himself. It soothed him, and he began to think of other things, like what life would be like without Hermione. Hermione thought of the same thing, except about Harry. It was then that they discovered that they wanted to be together always. Somehow, they decided without any words, and that was incredibly romantic in its own way. Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat. "Supper's on the table, dears!"

Supper was a pleasant affair, full of good talk and good people. Harry had quite recovered from his ordeal and went for a walk with Hermione after it was finished. Ron sat glooming in the kitchen. "What's wrong, Ron?" asked Fred (or George). They had shown up sometime during the afternoon and were planning on spending the night. "Why the long face?" asked George (or Fred).

"It's nothing, really… Well, it's just that Harry and Hermione have each other, but I've got no one." Ron said pathetically.

"You've got us!" quipped George. "Aren't we good enough? Come along Fred, let's go sulk ourselves!" George grabbed Fred's arm and began tugging him away. Fred just laughed and winked at Ron, who was laughing by now too. George turned around. "Everything will work out Ron. You'll find a soul mate one day."

"Even if she's ugly" muttered Fred, and George burst out laughing. Ron's ears turned red and he went up to his room.

**A/N: Hope you liked it. Sorry if the POV changes annnoy you, but I think it makes it interesting to see what other people are thinking about. Think of it as third person omnicient AND first person AT THE SAME TIME! woo! exciting! Don't forget to review! Please and Thank You!**


	6. Chapter Five: The Recurring Nightmare

**A/N: Well, thanks for (not) reviewing. Come on...30 seconds of your time, which you've already used reading this, and you could brightne my day up until it was full of rainbows, sunshine, and lollipops! Thank you SO much! PLEASE R+R!**

**Another thought for the day: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix comes out on July 13, 2007, and the guy who plays the youg James Potter, Robbie Jarvis, is unbelivably hot! Trust me!**

Later that night, Hermione and Harry returned from their nice long walk. It had been a long time since they had been alone together and it sparked a new romance between them. Up until this point, they had been somewhat distant to each other because Harry didn't know what to do and Hermione wasn't sure how to react. However, this one walk changed all. They walked into the kitchen laughing and holding hands and Mrs. Weasley felt a drowsy peace drift over her. She knew that everything would be all right now. Even if they didn't end up married, she knew that Harry would play an important role in the life of his child. That was the most important thing. Now the only person she was worried about was Ron. How was he coping with this new development? It must be really awkward for him, his two best friends dating and with a baby on the way as well. If only he could find a girlfriend, then her life would be near perfect. Everyone would be happy. With Bill married and Charlie engaged, her two oldest sons were fine. Fred and George had girls fawning all over them. Ginny…Ginny would never need anyone. All that was left was Ron.

Hermione was lying on her bed on the sofa (no one was allowed in Ginny's room anymore) trying to fall asleep. Every time she drowsed off, she began to dream of Voldemort and his ashes, the ones that Harry had returned. These dreams involved her putting them in some potion, and then the potion exploded. She happened to wake up every time the potion exploded, so she had no clue what was really happening. She wasn't sure she wanted to either. Finally, after the seventh time this had happened, she tiptoed into Harry and Ron's room. "Harry," she whispered. "Harry!" This time, she was urgent. When he didn't wake, she walked over to his bed and shook him.

"Huh? Wuzzat." Harry began talking very loudly, and then he fell back asleep. Hermione dropped onto the floor, in case Ron woke up.

"Harry," Hermione whispered right into his ear. Harry slapped at her as if she were a fly buzzing in his ear. "Harry. Harry. Harry. Harry!" Hermione was getting desperate. With all the hormones raging in her circulatory system, she was very emotional. Eventually, she got so fed up that she shoved him off the bed with a loud thunk. Harry groaned and sat up on the floor.

"What happened?" he yawned dimly. Hermione crawled over to him and nestled into his lap.

"I was scared" she said quietly. Harry groaned again, but hugged Hermione.

"What were you scared about?" he asked gently, stroking her hair.

"I kept having this dream where Voldemort would come, and then he'd turn into those ashes you have. Then I'd walk in and stick them in a potion or something like that and then the potion thing would explode and I'd wake up." Hermione gulped. "I didn't like it," she finished lamely. Harry moaned, but he stayed on the floor comforting Hermione. By this time, Ron was waking up. I don't know very many people who can stay asleep while a conversation is taking place in their room after a very loud noise has been made. I myself probably could, but not Ron. He rubbed his eyes blearily and looked over to Harry's bed.

"Harry? Where did you go?" Ron sounded utterly confused, which is not surprising, considering the fact that it was about one in the morning.

"We're over here."

"I don't see anybody here."

"We're a little more to the right."

"Here?"

"That's right, almost!"

"Ah, there you are. What's Hermione doing up here. You two weren't, doing anything, were you?" Ron looked nervously at Harry.

"No," replied Hermione.

"She had a nightmare, so she came up here. Go back to sleep, Ron." Ron obliged and rolled over. "I hope he thinks it was just a dream. Are you feeling better now?" Hermione nodded. "Time for bed?" She nodded again, and got up. Harry kissed her, and she walked out of the room. She fell asleep almost immediately after she lay down again, and her dream didn't plague her again. Until the next night. Once again, she could not sleep for love or money, of which she did have. They didn't help much though. She went to visit Harry again, and her fears dissolved as soon as she got close to him again. After this went on for a few nights, she began dreaming of ingredients in the potion. As far as she could tell, there were lacewings, unicorn tail hair, Veritaserum, a giant's toenail, beetle juice, essence of murtlap tentacles, Luneworms, flobberworms, and giant squid eyes. She wasn't sure yet, but it seemed to be really complex, involving many days of stewing and stirring and precise measuring. As of right now, this was really freaking Hermione out, but in the days to come, it would intrigue her, engross her, capture he mind. Finally, after a month of dreaming this and writing down the new developments each morning as she awoke, Hermione felt it was time to do something.

**A/N Oooooooh...What's gonna happen next? If you don't R+R, you will never ever know;)!**


	7. Chapter Six: Poor Hermione

**A/N Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry, it's not incredibly romantic yet, but just you wait! It will seriously get better. I know I say that every single chapter, but, hey, what do you think? Is it getting better? Why don't you tell me...(not hinting anything...AT ALL...cough cough) Well then, enjoy yourselves immensly!**

She didn't feel up to telling Harry what she was doing, in fact, she wasn't going to tell him until it was time for her to add the ashes. Secretly, she found all of the ingredients, some of which were exceedingly difficult to find. As the weeks passed, she found them all and began brewing her potion. Her dreams kept on coming, and she was a little bit obsessed with them. Every night, she would go to sleep hoping for the dream to return. Usually it did, but on the days it didn't, she had a terrible sleep. Harry found her becoming more and more distant, and when he asked her what was happening, she just waved him off with a little, "Oh, I don't know. Hormones maybe" and then walked away. Harry had noticed that she disappeared frequently to the garden and one day, he followed her. Hermione was about a month in to the actual brewing of her potion and every day she worked on it, she could feel tension letting up inside her. She still didn't know what the potion did, but she a feeling that she would never know until she actually added the ashes. She was just adding the Luneworms when Harry barged in the door of the little shed she was working in. Immediately, he started coughing. "What are you doing in here, Hermione? Trying to kill yourself?" Harry sounded very angry

"No." Hermione looked scared. Her hair was a mess, her face was covered in splotches of Luneworm guts, and her hands were shaking like crazy. Harry's anger soon gave way to concern.

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

Hermione debated whether or not to tell Harry, but she decided to be honest. "Well, you remember that dream I had of that potion?" Harry nodded. "Well, it's kept on coming back, and it's told me the ingredients and how to brew it and everything, and well, I'm trying to make it." Harry didn't say anything, then said in a very shaking voice,

"What do you think you're doing? You, the one person who told all of us not to listen to something that we couldn't see where it kept its brain! What if it brings him back to life? All the hard work I've put in towards killing him, and then you bring him back to life? How does that sound?"

"Harry, I don't think that's what's going to happen. I have a gut feeling about this. It's going to do something good. In my dreams, it always ends before anything happens to the ashes, but I always have an ecstatic satisfied feeling before it ends." Harry gave in.

"Fine, but you'd better let me help you."

"Oh Harry, you know that your Potion's mark were always dismal." Hermione chided. Harry looked at her and said,

"You'd better let me help. I can cut stuff up and do stuff like that." Hermione sighed.

"Fine. Cut up these Luneworms. Careful, they kind of explode if you cut them wrong. I would know!" Harry chuckled and what had been a tense situation for Hermione now became enjoyable. Together, the two of them created the potion. After two months of hard work and more dreams, the potion was complete. During this time, Hermione's stomach had expanded, and Mrs. Weasley was starting to hint at the two of them leaving soon. However, since the day Harry joined Hermione in brewing the potion, the two of them had been very friendly with the Weasleys. Many pleasant summer evenings had been spent in the garden. Sometimes, Fred and George joined them too. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had been doing very well, and they often showed up with presents for the family. Percy still hadn't reconciled his family, even though Harry had been right about everything. It seems that he was too embarrassed about being wrong to admit it Charlie was engaged to a muggle named Catherine Neek, an Egyptian women he had met breaking curses for Gringotts. Although they rarely visited, Mr. Weasley was delighted when they did, because Caddy, as they called her, loved showing him muggle stuff. She thought he was funny. Bill and Fleur were married and living in a small house nearby, so they popped by quite often. Even though Voldemort was dead, the Order of the Phoenix was still trying to round up rogue Death Eaters, so every so often, someone would drop by for a quick meeting. Lupin and Tonks were engaged as well, much to Hermione's delight. Life was good at the Weasleys.

Some time near the end of August, after the potion had been stewing for a few days, Hermione notified Harry that it was time to add the ashes. Hermione wanted to do it first thing in the morning, but Harry, who knew it was a full moon that night, made her wait until the moon was up. Hermione's day was very tense. Her back sometimes ached from her stomach, and she tried to keep herself occupied by furiously knitting booties and hats for her little baby. She was about four months pregnant, and it was difficult for her. She was very used to having full range of motion, but her range was slowly decreasing. She would wake up in the morning and discover that she couldn't stretch in a particular way. Mrs. Weasley had ordered her to rest for most of the day. She was only allowed out of the house for three hours a day. Otherwise, she had to be resting. Her mind occupied the tedious hours thinking about her potion. Mrs. Weasley was very concerned about Hermione. Although she had been angry at her and Harry for having this baby, she wanted to take care of Hermione as much as she could. She was so young. It seemed that Hermione was having some troubles, so Mrs. Weasley did some research. She looked up Hermione's symptoms in _1001 Common Ailments_ and there under pregnancy and decreased range of motion was '_possible Metamorhmagus'_. Mrs. Weasley nearly screamed when she read it. Further down the page it said, "_If these symptoms carry on into the fifth month, it is recommended to stay on strict bed rest, or in some cases, hospitals._" Mrs. Weasley moaned. She didn't want to worry Hermione more, so she kept this bit of information to herself. However, if she continued with these symptoms, or developed more of them (misshapen belly, frequent migraines, frequent agitation, trouble with Transfiguration, or trouble Apparating), then Mrs Weasley would have to tell her. For now, she decided to let Hermione live in blissful ignorance.

**A/N Goombye (i read in in an archie comic once...dont ask) for now. Have a nice life...muahahahaha.**

**(PS: WATCH OUT FOR RUPERT! yea, that means you nicole! and allison if you have any idea! hope you get those videos soon!)**


	8. Chapter Seven: The Potion finally!

**A/N This is prolly the most exciting chapter so far! You will finally know what happens with the potion! Aren't you so excited? No? Well, you should be;) Thanks to all my faithful readers! I love getting reviews! I had like 12 today! It totally makes my day!**

Hermione spent the entire day in agitation, waiting for the moon to come out. Sometime near 9 PM, she herded Harry out to the garden shed where their potion was brewing. She couldn't wait any longer. She was all tense from being cooped up inside all day, and this had been on her mind the whole time. They got to their shed and Harry drew the ashes out from his robes. Hermione was shivering with fear as Harry tipped them into the bubbling cauldron. Suddenly, Hermione realized how foolish her idea really was. She covered her ears, expecting to hear an explosion, but it never came. Instead, the potion began to boil like mad. Then, a small fountain erupted from the middle of it, sending a small stream to the floor of the room. Hermione screamed as the potion morphed into the figure of a girl. At first, she had no colour, but slowly, the colour burst from within her, adding tint to her body. The girl in front of them was none other than Ginny. More potion burst from the cauldron and this bit turned into Draco Malfoy. Harry looked confused, wondering when Malfoy had been murdered by Voldemort and what made him important enough. He had no time to think, because the potion continued spitting and adding to the small crowd of people in the room. Harry grew excited as he realized that his parents would be coming too. Sure enough, the figures of James and Lily Potter morphed out of the potion too. Hermione noticed that the potion in the cauldron was getting lower as more and more people came out. Soon, the figures of the elder Riddles and Tom Riddle senior came to be, and then the potion was gone.

The shack was nearly exploding with people, and Hermione was nearly exploding with excitement. It had worked better than she had ever imagined. Harry on the other hand, had nearly passed out on seeing his parents again. They looked exactly the same as they did on the night they died. They hadn't aged at all. Neither had anyone else, in fact. The Riddles looked exactly the same as when Harry had seen them in Dumbledore's Penseive. You couldn't tell with Ginny or Draco because they had only been killed a few months earlier. Hermione was the first to recover from the shock. She reached out and touched Ginny, who was standing right in front of her. When she found that Ginny was solid, she fainted dead away. Harry screamed and ran from the shed. This of course, brought everyone running from the Burrow as well. Mrs. Weasley was the first to catch up to Harry. "What's wrong, Harry?" Harry couldn't speak; he just motioned for everyone to follow him. He led them to the shed, where Mrs. Weasley gasped. There was a crowd of people that had randomly appeared in her garden shed. At first, she was angry at Harry and Hermione for organizing a party in her backyard, but then she recognized some of the people. They were from the Order of the Phoenix…and they had been dead for years. Then, she saw Ginny. Tears began openly streaming down her face as she embraced her youngest daughter. Harry walked over to his parents and hugged them. His mother looked at him funny.

"Who are you? You look like James. _Harry!_ Is that you?" Lily nearly suffocated her son. Harry's eyes were shining with tears now too. "You've grown so much! All I remember was Voldemort getting into the house and…and…killing us. How did we get here? Where are we, anyway?"

"Voldemort's gone, Mum. I killed him." Harry felt a shiver run up his spine. "We're at the Burrow, Ron Weasley's house. I don't really know how you got here. Hermione…wait a minute! Hermione!" He went over to where Hermione was lying on the ground and pointed his wand at her. "_Enervate!_" he said. She looked up at him with a dazed expression. "Hermione! You've got to come meet my mum and dad! They're here!" He dragged back to his parents and finished explaining. "Hermione had a dream about Voldemort's ashes. I took them after I killed him. She had nightmares about them, and they told her how to make this potion. We had no clue what was happening, but we made the potion and then put the ashes in. And all of you guys came out! I can't believe you're here! I've missed you so much. The Dursley's weren't exactly very nice parents."

"You lived with the Dursleys? As in Petunia and Vernon? What about Sirius?" Harry's dad asked.

"Yeah, I lived with the Dursley's. Sirius got sent to Azkaban. Wormtail, who betrayed you guys, by the way, blew himself up. Sirius was going to kill him, but Wormtail beat him to it, and killed a whole bunch of Muggles too. Everyone thought Sirius had done it, but then a few years ago, Wormtail showed up again. He got away again, but I almost got to go live with Sirius then. Later, the Black house became headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix and Sirius got stuck there. I would have gone to live with him after that, but, he died."

"Sirius? Dead? How?" Harry's dad was in shock. "And if we came back, why not him?"

"Voldemort didn't kill him, dad. He fell through a veil thing in the Department of Mysteries three years ago."

"Is Remus still alive?"

"Yeah. He was my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Third Year, until Snape let out that he was a werewolf."

"Snivellus was a teacher?" Harry's dad was mildly surprised. Lily threw hi a warning look. I had been no secret that James was not fond of Severus Snape.

"Was, yes. He taught Potions. He's gone now. He killed Dumbledore at the end of my Sixth Year." Harry paused for dramatic effect.

"Snape _killed_ Dumbledore? He killed _Dumbledore_? I always knew he would do something like that one day, but I never expected…Dumbledore!" He turned to his wife. "We've been gone a long time. Our son is grown up, and we don't even know him."

**A/N: Awww...isn't that sad? Tune un next time to see Harry and Hermione talk to Harry parents, Ginny, Draco(well, try to),Mrs Weasley, more Weasleys, and even eachother! Goombye fer now!**


	9. Chapter Eight: Hermione in Trouble?

**A/N: Sorry it took me SO long to post..I couldn't sign in for FOUR WHOLE DAYS! I just wrote more and more, so I think this chapter is pretty long! Well, I can't really tell from here, but I hope you like it! I'll like you if you r+r! Thank you ever so much!**

Mrs. Weasley had completely forgotten about nudging Harry and Hermione out of her house in the fall. First off, there were all these witches and wizards to send home. Second of all, Hermione's symptoms were still there. When Harry told his parents about Hermione, they were quiet. It seemed that they were just sad that they missed their son growing up. The last time they had seen him was when he was only one year old. Now here he was, seventeen years later with a pregnant girlfriend. Plus, they were going to be grandparents and they didn't look a day over twenty-three. In the end, when Mrs. Weasley had sent everyone home, the only people left were Ginny, obviously, Harry's parents, and Draco. Draco had not spoken since he came back and his parents were both in Azkaban, so Mrs. Weasley could hardly send him home. When Harry's parents mentioned taking Harry and Hermione home to live with them, it brought Mrs. Weasley back into that frame of mind. "Right," she said. "I've been meaning to talk to you two about that. You see, Hermione's baby appears to be a Metamorphmagus. I'm pretty sure she is; I've checked all the medical books in my house. Pretty soon, we're going to have to get her to St. Mungo's to double check. One of the new Order of the Phoenix members is a Metamorphmagus, and her mother nearly died, if I remember correctly. I haven't told Hermione yet, though." Of all the information Mrs. Weasley had just divulged, this surprised Lily and James the most.

"What do you mean, you haven't told Hermione yet?" asked James seriously. "If her life is in danger, she has the right to know." Mrs. Weasley flushed slightly.

"She's so young, though. I didn't want her to be worried."

"Well, it's about time she was allowed to worry. She needs to know, Molly. No matter what you think, she needs to know." With that, James called Hermione over, who dragged Harry along as well. "Hermione, Harry. Something very important has just come up. Molly has informed us that your baby may be a Metamorphmagus, Hermione." Hermione just stood there looking blankly at them. It was obvious she didn't realize what the problem was.

"So?" Hermione said. James sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but carrying and giving birth to a Metamorphmagus is a huge health risk. One reason they're so rare is that quite often the mother and child die." Hermione moaned at this and her eyes widened with fear.

"The healers at St. Mungo's have figured out how to keep the mother and child safe, but it involves staying there for most of the pregnancy." Lily added. "We want to take you there now." Hermione was now crying. Harry put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight.

"Everything will be all right, Hermione. Let's go pack some stuff and get ready to go." Harry led Hermione upstairs and helped her pack.

That afternoon, James, Lily, Harry, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley took the Knight Bus to St. Mungo's. Since it was dangerous for Hermione to Apparate and the Weasleys were low on Floo powder, they opted for the Knight Bus. Mrs. Weasley exchanged a few words with Ernie the bus driver and got them bumped up in the queue. They were dropped off at St. Mungo's only ten minutes after boarding the bus. Mrs. Weasley was the first out, and Harry's dad tipped Ernie generously behind her back. The five of them walked into the seemingly abandoned department store and found themselves inside St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. The friendly Welcome Witch led them to the maternity ward where Dr. Rupert Watchout greeted them. "So, what seems to be the problem, miss?" He addressed Hermione in a warm friendly tone. Hermione was shivering too much to say anything, so Mrs. Weasley said,

"We think her baby might be a Metamorphmagus." Mrs. Weasley put it bluntly. Dr. Rupert paled and called to a few other healers nearby.

"We've got a Metamorphmagus. You know what to do." The extra wizards began examining Hermione while the doctor asked her a few questions. After a few minutes, he said, "Follow me, miss…"

"Granger."

"Miss Granger. I hope you've brought some personal items. You will be admitted to the intensive care ward immediately. It's a good thing you came when you did. If she hadn't," he said, turning to Mrs. Weasley, "Who knows what might have happened. This is a serious medical emergency. How far along are you?" he said, turning back to Hermione.

"About five months." she said nervously. Harry was patting her arm comfortingly. Doctor Rupert motioned for them all to follow him. He led them to a hallway and then a door.

"This is where you'll be staying, Miss Granger. It's a private room, and you'll need it. You will be on strict bed rest and only allowed visitors one hour a day. A nurse will aid you in whatever you need, and, I repeat, you are not allowed out of your bed!" Dr. Watchout pointed to a large comfortable bed. You see, St. Mungo's, unlike Muggle hospitals, understood the importance of comfort. The bed that Hermione was to live in for four months was large, squashy, and a soothing blue colour. "Since you're going to be here for a while, you can bring some pictures and the like to hang up to make it look homier around here." Dr. Watchout was now writing a short report on Hermione, which he soon handed to a nurse. "This is Emily. She will be your nurse." Emily was a young witch, just out of Beauxbaxtons.

"'Allo. 'Ow are you all?" Emily smiled at the people gathered around Hermione's bed. "I am just out of Beauxbaxtons and I am doing an apprenticeship, as you say, in St. Mungo's" Upon seeing Mrs. Weasley's worried look, she added, "Oh, do not worry! I am very capable, if you must know, I was best in my class. And I will 'ave help." Mrs. Weasley looked relieved. Emily promptly settled Hermione in her new bed, and began unpacking some of her things. She set up some of the pictures Hermione had hastily grabbed on her way out. She also talked quite rapidly to all of them. By the end, everyone was feeling much relieved and Mrs. Weasley felt bad for not bringing Hermione here sooner. She apologized to Hermione when Emily went off to fetch an extra pillow for Hermione.

"I truly am sorry Hermione. I felt almost as if you would feel as if I failed you if you had to come here. If I had known it was going to be this good, I would have brought you here a long time ago. I'm sorry." Mrs. Weasley enfolded Hermione in a bear hug. Just then, Emily returned with her pillow.

"I'm sorry, but you're all going to have to leave. Today has been a busy day for Hermione, and she really needs her rest." She shooed them out of the room. "Go on! You can visit her tomorrow." Four of the five people who entered the room earlier now exited, leaving Hermione quite alone, except for Emily. Harry turned back at the door and came back to kiss Hermione quickly. She could see the pain in his eyes at leaving her here.

"I love you" he whispered to her.

"I love you too Harry," she whispered back. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently before letting him leave. When everyone was gone, Hermione sank into her nice squashy pillows and took a long nap.

She woke up in the morning to a friendly happy song playing somewhere between what felt like dreamland and the real world.

"Take me to the breaking of a beautiful dawn  
Take me to the place where we come from  
Take me to the end so I can see the start  
There's only one way to mend a broken heart"

Emily, it seems, enjoyed Muggle music. "Emily!" she called. "Do you even know what this song says?

"Not really, Hermione. I only like zee tune. It is very beaux, or how you say, beautiful."

"Well, it's exactly what I needed this morning." Hermione sighed and looked out her magical window. It was exactly like the windows at the Ministry of Magic, but these windows were always full of happy weather. Hermione's at the moment was showing a stunning sunrise, full of striking, calming colours. She sighed and pulled her blankets off. It was the middle of the summer, and she was feeling rather warm. Soon, Emily came over with a tray full of breakfast goodness, although Hermione wasn't feeling very hungry. Emily did a quick check-up of Hermione's vitals, and the walked off, looking worried. She returned following behind Dr. Watchout.

"Hermione has a bit of a fever, Doctor." Emily reported. Dr. Watchout 'hmmed' and 'hawed' over Hermione for a few minutes, and then called a few other healers over. "This woman needs an anti-fever charm, and quick! This is one technicality with Metamorphmagus children. Fevers can severely harm them. Not that much of a threat, since you caught it so fast, but good thing you did." That was the most exciting part of Hermione's day. The rest of it she spent knitting hats and booties. She was quite good at it, having knitted plenty of them in her Hogwart's days. Her belly was somewhat misshapen, and every once in a while she would look at it and imagine what her baby would look like. Often enough, it was amusing. She would see a funny lump and imagine it as a nose or something. When she laughed, Emily would come over and ask what was wrong. Hermione soon got annoyed of this, so she stopped laughing. Unfortunately, that made for a very boring day. At around three in the afternoon, Harry and Ron came for a visit. Ron pretty much hit it off with Emily. It seems that the Weasley family had a bit of a weakness for French women. This left Harry free to talk to Hermione. Hermione told him about the song she had heard this morning, and how it had made her sad. She had known that Harry wasn't really gone, but she was still rather sad. They had rather more than an hour due to the fact that Ron had disappeared with Emily, and that was a good thing for both of them. At around 5:30, Dr. Watchout came around with dinner and shooed Harry and Ron out. Hermione laughed, and Emily asked her what was wrong. Hermione just ignored her.

**A/N: Actually, I don't think it's all that long, but it covers a lot of ground. A disclaimer: The lyrics to the song Hermione hears are not mine. However, it is an AMAZING song by the Wailin' Jennys, called Beautiful Dawn. Sighhh, what an awesome song. Well, got to go post another chapter to another story! Goombye and thanks for all the fish...i mean...thatnks for reading! GOOMBYE!**


	10. Ch9: in which a lot of ground is covered

**A/N: well, I don't _really _have an excuse as to why this took so long to post. I guess I'm running out of ideas. Seriously, even if you think your idea is the lamest thing on the planet, don't hesitate to tell me. I'm fresh out. I always now how to end my stories, but in between is a little more difficult. Well, enjoy!**

The next few months passed in almost the same mundane way. However, the rocky relationship with Emily was much better. They chatted like old friends now. And well they should, considering they spent so much time forced on each other. Mrs. Weasley was ecstatic when Ron told her about Emily, Harry visited Hermione every single day, Harry's parents were getting to know him better, and Lupin and Tonks announced their engagement. The only person, other than Hermione showing improvement was Draco Malfoy. He was still at the Burrow, but he still hadn't said a word since the day he came back. He stuck close to Ginny at all times but refused to utter anything, only nodding and shaking his head. Mrs. Weasley was frustrated, but the Potters and the rest of the family were worried. Harry and his parents went to visit Hermione every day, and they often discussed Malfoy. Hermione thought it was psychological, and Harry thought that it was spawned from his obvious encounter with Voldemort. Harry's parents didn't really know what to think. Everyone else had turned out fine, even Bertha Jorkins was okay. Draco Malfoy was the only one that hadn't returned to normal. Ginny, who he followed everywhere, said that he didn't even talk to her.

Ron often came with Harry and his parents to visit Hermione, but mostly it was to visit with Emily. Their relationship had matured over the past months, and Ron invited her to supper one night. Emily liked the family, and had a very pleasant evening. That same evening, Draco pulled Ginny out after supper. Ginny was kind of confused. He never did this. Her confusion turned to surprise when he kissed her. "I love you" he murmured. Ginny nearly fainted. First, he kissed her, then he spoke! It was amazing. Draco grabbed her by the hand and pulled her outside. He didn't let go of her hand either. They walked around the garden, and Draco told her his story. "You know that my parents were Death Eaters, right?" Ginny nodded. "Well, it was because of them that I had to try and kill Dumbledore." Ginny squealed. "Yeah, I was supposed to be the one to kill him. But I couldn't. I just couldn't, Ginny. So Snape killed him for me. He had taken an Unbreakable Vow with my mother to help me, but seeing as I failed, he turned me into _him_." Draco shuddered at the thought. Ginny squeezed his hand. "I was in Madam Malkin's getting a new robe and Snape Apparated in and grabbed me. He took me via Side-Along Apparation. I had no choice. He took me to his house, where You-Know-Who was waiting for me. He looked at me with his horrible red eyes, then he laughed and said, 'I expected more from you, young Malfoy. Your father was one of my greatest supporters.' Then h...he killed me." Draco began sobbing uncontrollably. Ginny pulled him onto a bench and comforted him until he stopped. She dried his tears and hugged him tight. Then she grabbed his hand and told him that it was time to go back to the Burrow. Reluctantly, he agreed. "Does this mean I have to tell that whole story over again?"

"If you don't want to, I can. I'm not mean enough to force you to tell it all over again. You've been through an ordeal, and I won't make you tell that whole thing again." They walked silently back to the Burrow, and went into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was cleaning up and was startled when they walked in.

"When did you two leave?" The question was directed at Ginny, but Draco answered.

"We left just as soon as dinner was over."

Mrs. Weasley looked shocked. "Did…Draco…say that?" Ginny nodded and broke into a grin. "Welcome back, Draco! Now, I'm not trying to be rude, but why exactly were you killed by You-Know-Who?" Ginny looked witheringly at her mother.

"Draco's just been through an ordeal mum! Can't you see that it's a little unkind to ask that right away? Anyway, Draco told me the whole story, but he doesn't want to have to do it again, so I get to tell you." Mrs. Weasley looked somewhat ashamed of herself, and rightly so. She listened with fascination as Ginny recounted Draco's tale of horror.

"Well I never! Severus turned you in! He was in the Order…never mind. I shouldn't have said that.

"Mum!" said Ginny exasperatedly. "Draco's been _murdered_ by You-Know-Who! Do you really think that he's going to turn around and tell him all about the Order of the Phoenix? Right, Draco?" Draco nodded. Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"I suppose you're right, dear. It will take getting used to think of Draco Malfoy as on our side. All those summers of Ron coming home and complaining about how mean you were to him are hard to put behind me."

"Let me tell you, I'm dreadfully sorry about that. Growing up with parents like mine, it's hard not to act like them. Until You-Know-Who took me into his ranks, I thought it was almost fun to be mean to people. When I became a Death Eater, I realized how horrible it was, how horrible my parents were. I can tell you I regret everything I did during my Hogwarts years. I've totally changed my perspective." Draco confessed. Mrs. Weasley was in shock.

"Are you the real Draco Malfoy?" asked Mrs. Weasley, scrutinizing him. He spread out his arms.

"Yep. This is it. I'm me. Don't worry. Oh yeah, thanks for taking care of me for the past few months. I really appreciate it." Draco felt relieved somehow, like a weight had been lifted off of him. He hated taking other people's charity. He was a Malfoy after all, and used to the best money could buy and more. However, he did deeply appreciate Mrs. Weasley's care over the last three months. Mrs. Weasley suddenly engulfed Draco in a huge motherly hug.

"Welcome home. If you're afraid of going home, you can live with us for as long as you want." Mrs. Weasley felt some pity for Draco, having never been raised by decent people. She had always prided herself on the way she raised her children. They had had the best of life. She had been raised like that when she was little, so she had no experience of a bad parent. She could well imagine how the Malfoys had treated their son, however. Passing on their evil nature through the generation, all of them submitting, until now. Draco was the missing link. His conversion would transform the Malfoy clan. Now, the Malfoys wouldn't have to strike fear into the hearts of other witches and wizards. Mrs. Weasley was amazed at how quickly Draco had changed, but most surprised of all was Draco. He had gone from a tyrant to a genuinely nice person in a relatively short amount of time. "Well, I'm off to share the good news! See you two later!"

Mrs. Weasley meant what she said, and yet she didn't see them later. In fact, no one saw them later, because they were snogging in a closet. Mrs. Weasley had one less child to worry about. Emily was due to come for supper the next day, and with Malfoy talking again, she hoped that Emily would feel more comfortable. She was right, in a way. Fred and George, who loved teasing Ron at every moment they could, or anyone for that matter, teased him to no end. They dined on roast beast and smashed potatoes, smothered in thick, rich gravy. Mrs. Weasley was excellent at making gravy. It was smooth and luscious, full of rich meaty goodness. The potatoes were home grown in the garden and incorporated the country fresh flavour of corn. The roast beast was done to perfection, slow cooked for many hours until it was tender and juicy. Couldn't have been more perfect, but it left something to be desired. As in no Fred and George.

Most of the time, Fred and George could behave themselves, but as Ron couldn't shut up about Emily, tonight was drastically different. Of course, it started out totally fine, but deteriorated within about five minutes. "So, when's the wedding?" began George totally innocently. When Emily looked shocked and glanced at Ron, George and Fred exchanged menacing grins. Ron was already blushing. At the moment, he was about the shade of a pink sunset, but Fred and George weren't done yet.

"Wouldn't be surprised if Ron popped the question soon, the way he's been going on about you." added Fred seriously. Ron was slowly reddening. He was about the shade of red pencil crayon now.

"'Ooh Emily! She's soo nice and pretty and lovely and fun and good and nice and…'" George, who had imitating Ron, was cut off by Fred, who was laughing at Ron's tomato-red face. Mrs. Weasley, who had been in the kitchen, came back to find Ron sinking slowly down in his chair, face as red as a pomegranate. She told Fred and George off, and went back into the kitchen. She had forgotten the gravy boat. Fred and George were laughing uproariously, and Emily looked uncomfortable. Later on, the twins apologized, and then she was in a good mood for the rest of the meal.

Meanwhile, Hermione was lying in her quiet hospital room, waiting for her dinner. Emily wasn't on duty tonight. She was feeling fine, although she was fed up of staying in bed all day long. The pile of tiny knitted socks and sweaters on her dresser grew larger everyday. At the moment, she was embroidering a yellow baby blanket with tiny flowers. Life wasn't _bad_ here, just boring.

**A/N:I thought the part with Malfoy was pretty sweet. Personally, I'm glad he's back to normal. I mean, I did write this thing, so it's my idea, but I'm still happy. I hope you are too!**


	11. Chapter 10: Sirius

**A/N: Sorry everyone. I changed some things around, so some of this chapter is review. There's a bit at the end that's new. Read the whole thing anyway. It's better now:P**

Just as Hermione was thinking about lonely she was, Ron walked in with Emily. Since Emily was doing her apprenticeship at the hospital, she also had a small room there that she stayed in. Dinner was over, and now Ron was bringing Emily back 'home'. They were holding hands and laughing, and they came to the edge of Hermione's bed. "How are you Hermione? I haven't seen you in a while." Ron said in a friendly manner.

"I've noticed," said Hermione in a slightly cold voice. She wasn't sure why she had said it, maybe the fact that Ron was too caught up with Emily to come see her, or maybe the fact that Ron could be with his girlfriend while she and Harry had to stay apart. Ron looked put out. He glanced at Emily.

"Well, I just came to bring Emily back, but I thought it might be nice to pay you a visit. Did we come at a bad time?" Now he sounded confused.

Hermione sighed. "No, it's OK Ron. I'm fine."

"I will just go to my room. Au revoir Ron!" Emily kissed him quickly and retreated into her room.

Ron sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed. "So how are you, really?" he asked.

Hermione turned and gazed out her window, which was now showing a lovely view of mountains. "I'm OK, I guess. I just miss everyone. It's so hard to be cooped up in here!" She unwillingly let a few tears slip down her cheeks. "I just want to go home. But I don't even have a home anymore." That was it. Hermione began sobbing. Ron looked rather frightened. He didn't know what to do, so he just hugged Hermione. Eventually, her tears lessened, and Hermione felt better. "Thanks for coming by Ron. At least I don't have to be here for very long."

"Well, I'm just glad that you're still doing OK, Hermione. I miss you being at home too. Harry misses you the most though. He mopes a lot." Ron grinned. Hermione grinned too. "Well, I'd best be going home. I promise I'll come again tomorrow." Ron got up and left Hermione alone once again.

Back at home, Lily and James were out for a walk with their son. "So, it seems as though Hermione is a nice girl," commented James.

"She really is, dad. I love her. I think I want to marry her." Harry stopped for a moment, lost in thought.

"What is it Harry?" asked his mother.

"Well, I don't know what to do anymore. I don't have a place to live, I don't have a job, and now that you guys are back, I suppose you'll want your money back as well."

"Well, we'll figure out the money eventually. We should just figure out what everyone needs, first of all. Besides, there are plenty of jobs out there for a wizard like you. In fact, you probably don't even need a job." James teased. "Just walk into a store and say that you're the one who got rid of our old pal Voldemort and you'll probably get whatever you want on the house!" Harry laughed.

"You know what; I've just remembered that...Sirius left me everything, even his house. Hermione and I could live there!"

"What house did Sirius ever own?" asked James.

"It's in London. At the moment, it's being used as headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, and since I'm not the Secret Keeper, I can't exactly tell you where it is. Dumbledore used to be the Secret Keeper, but I'm not sure who is right now."

"Speaking of Secret Keepers, how come you think Sirius didn't betray us. He was our Secret Keeper, you know." said Lily.

"Well, he said that at the last moment, he persuaded Wormtail to switch with him. Hr figured Voldemort would go after him instead of Wormtail, so Wormtail would be the safest bet. But Wormtail turned around and betrayed you immediately." Harry answered.

"That little scumbag!" exclaimed James, crushing a stick beneath his foot. "I should have known! Let's go back home" James looked a bit dejected, so Lily came over and grabbed his hand.

"James, don't worry about it. It's all over now. I'm sure the Aurors will track down that vile piece of filth and dispose of him accordingly."

James shrugged. "It's not just that. It's that I'll never be able to see Sirius again." No one said anything else for the rest of the walk home.

Draco and Ginny were also out on a walk that night. They meandered along in silence, just enjoying each other's company. "You know what Draco," said Ginny, breaking the silence. "I never thought that you were as bad as Harry and Ron made you out to be. I think I knew that you were good somewhere deep inside."

"I liked who I was when I was in Hogwarts until I became one of _them_. I suddenly realized how cruel I was. I wish I could take it all back now."

"You've really changed, you know that. The old Draco would never have admitted to something like that. I like that new you."

When Harry visited Hermione that evening, he didn't tell her Sirius's house. He wanted it to be a surprise. They talked for a while, and then Harry had to leave again. At the Burrow again, he thought about how Hermione hadn't looked too good. She had looked pale and kind of feverish. Harry was worried.

"Harry, are you feeling OK?" Lily asked him. "You look worried, dear."

"It's Hermione, mum. She doesn't look too great."

"Don't worry honey. She'll be fine. I remember when I was eight months pregnant with you. It only feels as though it was two years ago, actually!" Lily added, Harry chuckled. "It's just what happens. She'll be fine after the baby is born. Do you have any names picked out yet?"

A look of wonder dawned on Harry's face. "You know what? We haven't! We'll have to talk about it tomorrow!"

Lily laughed. "Don't worry Harry. Everything's going to be all right."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks mum. I'll see you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night, Harry. Have a good sleep. I love you." Lily watched as her nearly-adult son walked slowly up the stairs. She had missed seeing him growing up.

"Where're Ginny and Draco, Mum? Have you seen them lately?" George was visiting the Burrow that afternoon.

"No I haven't Fred," Mrs. Weasley answered absent-mindedly.

George sighed. "I won't even bother correcting you Mum!" He turned around and yelled, "Oi! Ginny! Where are you? We want to go play Quidditch out in the back. Want to come? Draco can play too, if he wants!" However, Draco and Ginny were not to be found. They were snogging in the broom closet again. George shrugged. "Oi, Fred! Are you coming?" Fred came out of the living room with Angelina in tow. "Grab your brooms and let's go!"

"I warn you, Fred, I'm still pretty good!" Angelina punched her boyfriend cheerfully.

"Well, you can't beat a Beater like me!" Fred punned. George groaned.

"What?" said Fred and Angelina in unison. They laughed.

"Stop being so punny, Fred, or I'll slug you!" George was laughing too. As the raucous group made their way out of the house, they were joined by Draco and Ginny.

"Where are you lot off to?" asked Draco.

"Oh, were just off to play Quidditch. Want to join in?"

Draco looked at Ginny, shrugged, and said, "Sure why not. I'll just grab my broom from the broom closet."

Ginny giggled and said, "Yeah, me too." Fred and George looked at each other laughed.

"Now where's Harry off to? Why doesn't he come play with us?" asked Fred.

"Who knows? We'd better start playing now though, before it's too late! Come on!"

Meanwhile, Harry was at Number 12 Grimmauld Place with his dad. Late last night, Harry had gotten an owl from Mad-Eye Moody with a note saying that he had gotten rid of the Secret Keeper enchantment. He had replaced Dumbledore, but now that Voldemort was dead, there was no need for the Order to keep meeting, and there was also no need to keep the location secret anymore. Harry and James had Apparated there in the morning, and spent the whole day cleaning up. Thankfully, Kreacher was at Hogwarts in the kitchen, so there was no mumbling or snatching going on, but the house was a dreadful sight. After being deserted for the past few months, it was covered in dust and still full of strange objects. Harry and James sorted things out as best they could. "We should take Lily and Mrs. Weasley here next time we come back," muttered a sweating James.

"I'll say!" exclaimed Harry, who was, at the moment, wrestling a large, ornate, and mouldy curtain into a garbage can. "We need someone who can help us actually clean this place up!"

When Harry and James came back that evening, they were exhausted. When they arrived at the dinner table, they were also surprised. Tonks and Lupin were sitting there along with the entire Weasley family minus Percy and plus Angelina and Draco. "Oi! Where have you two been all day?" asked Ron. "You missed an amazing Quidditch match!"

"Sit down and I'll start serving the meal. You are a bit late this evening, dears." fussed Mrs. Weasley. The meal was delicious and full of Weasley goodness. When everyone was done eating, a contented sigh went around the table. "So what's the plan for tonight? Shall we have an Exploding Snap tournament?" A collective nod of approval was seen, except for Harry.

"I have to visit Hermione. Ron told her I would, and I want to go anyway."

"Do you mind if I come along?" asked Tonks. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"Sure, why not," agreed Harry. "We'll see you all later."

Harry and Tonks made it to St. Mungo's just in time. As they walked through the door, a frantic Mediwitch grabbed them. "You've just been owled. Your...erm...girlfriend is in labour. Follow me please." Harry's face turned an ashen grey colour as he allowed himself to be led to Hermione's room. Tonks followed at a few pace's distance.

"How is she?" asked Harry squeakily, his voice much higher than usual.

"Oh, she's doing fine, but Dr. Watchout is a bit worried still. Rest assured however that Hermione is being well cared for. There are a number of Mediwizards and –witches on duty. She's going to be fine." The Mediwitch turned around sharply. "You may come if you like," she said, addressing Tonks. "I don't know how Miss Granger will react, but just follow us for the time being." She turned around and Harry and Tonks followed her into a small hospital room filled nearly to bursting with medical personnel.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry rushed over to her side. "Oh Harry, I'm so scared!" Harry nodded, being too scared himself to offer any sort of comfort.

"I'm here now. I was just coming for a visit with Tonks, and then we were told that you were in labour already!" Harry was still quite pale. He took Hermione's hand. Hermione now had a determined look on her face.

"I'm glad you're here. I can't imagine doing this without you. I guess you beat the owl then?" She chuckled weakly, before the next spasm of pain hit her.

Sometime early in the morning, a baby boy was placed into Hermione's arms. A few hours later, when Hermione had woken up from her nap, she asked "What should we call him, Harry? I would have thought to call him James, after your dad, but now that he's back, that's a bit out of the question."

"How about Sirius, then?" suggested Harry.

"I was thinking about that too. How about Sirius James Potter?"

Harry grinned. "I like it. How about you, Sirius?" He gingerly touched his newborn son's tiny hand.

"I think he likes it too." said Hermione softly. Harry and Hermione were sitting silently, but happily when a knock came on the door. Harry looked at Hermione, who nodded.

"Come in." he said. A small crowd filed in silently, led by James and Lily. They had come with Arthur, Molly, and Ron Weasley, and Tonks had come in as well too. James and Lily rushed to their son's side to get a good look at their new grandson.

"Have you guys named him yet?" asked James.

"Yeah. His name is Sirius James Potter. We were thinking of just James, but, well, you're back now. You don't really need a namesake anymore." Harry answered. James grinned and looked back at little Sirius. Harry looked proudly at his new son, then he turned to look at Hermione. She looked terrible. "Harry." she choked out. Her face was rapidly losing colour. Harry jumped up and rushed out of the room. He found Dr. Watchout almost immediately.

"Come quick! Hermione..."was all he managed to say.

"Just lead the way, m'boy!" They set off at a run. Dr. Watchout shooed everyone out of the room and handed Harry the baby. "Here. Take him for a few moments." He bent over Hermione, muttered a quick spell and wheeled her out of the room. Harry looked terrified. "Just follow me! She needs to be in the intensive care wing immediately." He turned and looked at Harry. "Don't worry, she's going to be fine."

**A/N: I'll just leave you hanging for a few days. Ooooh! What's going to happen next???**


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